Rex and pity t he
Revis: Former coach in a ‘sad’ position as Jet ts tenure comes to an end
COSTELLO / PAGES 72-73 With Rex Ryan poised to make his final appearance at MetLife Stadium as the Jets coachcoach, former Gang Green star corner Darrelle Revis (inset) is coming back with the Patriots and says he feels sorry for his former coach. “It’s kind of a sad position Rex is in right now,” Revis said.
This is how bad it’s gotten for the Jets — Darrelle Revis is throwing a pity party for his former coach.
On a conference call Wednesday, the Patriots cornerback steered clear of most Jets topics but admitted he feels sorry for Rex Ryan, who could be fired in two weeks.
“It’s kind of sad the position Rex is in right now,” Revis said. “At the same time, that’s something they’ve got to change.”
Revis spent six seasons with the Jets, four under Ryan. The two had a strong bond and Ryan always spoke glowingly of Revis. But the team traded away Revis in April 201 3 when owner Woody Johnson tired of his constant contract demands. Revis was traded to the Buccaneers, for whom he played for one season before being released in March, when he signed with the Patriots.
This will be Revis’ second trip to MetLife Stadium since he was traded. He said he will treat it like any other game. But for fans who thought Revis would be in green and white forever, it will be tough to stomach seeing No. 24 in red, white and blue.
Revis’ camp reached out to the Jets in March when Tampa Bay cut him, but the Jets passed on a reunion. Revis would not answer questions about his desire to return to the Jets.
“That ship has sailed. I missed that boat. I caught the New England Patriots’ boat,” Revis said.
Similarly, Ryan had no desire to revisit whether it was a mistake for the Jets to pass on Revis in March. According to sources, Ryan desperately wanted the team to sign Revis, but general manager John Idzik and Johnson were not going to rush into any reunion. New England signed Revis hours after he was released by Tampa Bay.
“Guys, we’ve addressed all this before. We can go back to our notes since the first time we played at New England or even when Revis was in Tampa,” Ryan said. “You make decisions based on things. A lot of them work out, some maybe don’t work out as well as others. I don’t think it’s fair to say well this or that. The guys that we do have, I’m telling you they play hard.”
There is no question the Jets could have used Revis this year. They have given up 29 passing touchdowns, the third-most in the NFL. The franchise record is 35, set in 1986. The poor play at cornerback has forced Ryan to call more zone coverages than ever before and the team is 24th in the NFL in scoring defense, allowing 25.7 points per game.
The Patriots clinched their sixth straight AFC East crown Sunday, the first division title for Revis, who has had a huge year.
“I can see why we win as an organization and why we’re always winning the division year in and year out is because we work. We work hard, man,” he said.
Of course, that doesn’t mean Revis wants to stay with New England iin 2015. As always, it will come down to economics with Revis. He signed a two-year, $323 million contract with the Patriots in March, but the deal is basically a one-year, $12 million pact. Revis would get a $12 million roster bonus if he is still on the team in March, which won’t happen. The only way he would return is if the two sides can work out a new deal.
“I don’t know what my future holds,” Revis said. “Right now I’m just focusing on this week.”
Nothing would put a cherry on top of this dismal season quite like a Revis pick-six off Geno Smith on Sunday. The Jets quarterback knows it might be smart to just stay away from Revis.
“That’s always a good idea,” Smith said. “He can shut down one side of the field. He’s proven in that regard . You’ve got to be very careful when you put the ball up in his area. I’m aware of that. We all are.”